The 2030 World Cup will play out across three continents, FIFA, soccer’s governing body, announced Wednesday.
The World Cup is usually limited to one host nation, sometimes two. But 2030’s edition will be hosted by an unprecedented six countries: Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Originally, Spain and Portugal proposed to host the 2030 World Cup jointly. Their bid expanded to include Morocco. Bid rivals Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay joined next.
The unprecedented intercontinental tournament could open in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, where the inaugural World Cup was played in 1930.
“The centennial World Cup could not be far from South America, where everything began,” said Alejandro Dominguez, president of South America’s soccer federation CONMEBOL.
FIFA’s tricontinental World Cup plan awaits formal approval in 2024 at a conference of 211 worldwide soccer federations. That vote is typically a formality.
Like 2026’s World Cup, 2030’s is scheduled for June and July of that year and will feature 48 teams vying for soccer’s most prestigious trophy, with 104 games to be played in total.
National teams will have to cover vast distances and adjust to time zone shifts to participate.
“In 2030, we will have a unique global footprint, three continents … six countries … welcoming and uniting the world while celebrating the beautiful game, the centenary and the FIFA World Cup,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said.
Now that a decision has been reached over where the 2030 World Cup will take place, the 2034 World Cup bidding contest will start soon. The 2034 World Cup will be limited to FIFA member nations in Asia and Oceania. Saudi Arabia and Australia have both expressed interest.
Some information for this report is from The Associated Press.
